1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, an ultrasonic image processing apparatus, an ultrasonic image acquiring method and an ultrasonic diagnosis display method capable of volume scanning using, for example, a spatio-temporal imaging correlation (STIC) function.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ultrasonic diagnosis enables the beating of the heart or the motion of a fetus to be obtained in real-time display by a simple operation of applying an ultrasonic probe onto the body surface. Moreover, the ultrasonic diagnosis is highly safe. Therefore, the ultrasonic diagnosis enables repeated examinations. The ultrasonic diagnosis can also be said to be a convenient diagnostic technique in that its system is smaller in scale than, for example, other X-ray, CT and MRI diagnostic instruments and can be easily moved to a bedside for an examination. An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus used in this ultrasonic diagnosis varies depending on the kind of its function. Meanwhile, ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus that are small enough to carry with one hand have been developed. The ultrasonic diagnosis has no effect of radiation exposure in contrast with X-rays, and can be used in, for example, an obstetrical service or a home health care service.
Furthermore, in recent years, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus can be used to acquire volume data and observe a three-dimensional moving image in real time. One of the functions used to perform such a three-dimensional moving image diagnosis is an STIC function. According to this function, frame data are collected without referring to an electrocardiogram (ECG), and volume data is constructed by a frequency analysis of the collected frame data. Thus, an obstetrician, a gynecologist or a circulatory organ doctor can anatomically diagnose the motion of the heart of a fetus. When a heart disease of a fetus is diagnosed using the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus, it is difficult to refer to an ECG signal of the fetus, so that the use of the STIC function is indispensable.
However, even when the STIC function is used, a volume scan with a wide field angle including a spine as a mark is necessary in order to recognize the position of the heart in the chest of the fetus. Performing the volume scan with a wide field angle leads to a decrease in volume rate, which can not be said to be preferable in terms of the analysis of the motion of the heart.